Flavored 'Mallows, Sips 'n Swaps, Seasonal Recalls & MORE!

Dry Soda - Yup, that's the name, pure and simple! Even more simple? This bubbly all-natural stuff is made from just FOUR ingredients, including a minimal amount of cane sugar. The fancy part? The flavors! We recently tried the Cucumber, Vanilla Bean, and Blood Orange (YUM!); additional flavors include Lavender, Rhubarb, and more. Best of all, each 12-oz. bottle has only 45 - 70 calories, 11 - 19g carbs, and 11 - 19g sugars (PointsPlus® value 1 - 2*). Find it at select retailers (like Whole Foods), fine restaurants, hotels, and online!

Jet-Puffed Flavored Marshmallows in Chocolate Mint, Cinnamon Bun, and Chocolate Royale - If the day ever comes that we meet the people who thought up these flavored 'mallows, we'll hug them so hard that they might call security. With 100 calories, 0g fat, 25mg sodium, 25g carbs, 0g fiber, 17 - 18g sugars, and <1g protein (PointsPlus® value 3*) per 17-piece serving, these fluffy treats would clearly be great for recipes and sweet snacking. There's also a Gingerbread variety with 100 fat-free calories per 11-piece serving. We can't WAIT to get 'em into our hot cocoa!

Jamba Juice Apple Cinnamon Cheer Smoothie - If it's just a drink or a snack you're after, this probably contains more calories than you bargained for. The original size has 420 calories... and 83 grams of sugar!

SWAP! For a guilt-free apple-tastic treat, blend up a Caramel Apple Frappe in the comfort of your own kitchen -- super-decadent and under 200 calories!

Chick-fil-A Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake - Bad news! Even a small version of this shake is crazy-fattening -- 660 calories and 23g fat. A large packs (ACK!) 930 calories and 31g fat!

New info is constantly coming out about the effects of snacking. For every study that supports snacking as beneficial for weight loss and maintenance, another comes along with opposing results. Most recently, a study of overweight or obese postmenopausal women trying to lose weight found that subjects lost LESS weight when they snacked during late-morning hours. The reason seems to be that those who had a snack at this time snacked more throughout the day compared to others -- think of it as a gateway snack. With so much conflicting info, what's a hungry girl (or guy) to do? Think before you eat! We're big on snacking, in general, but we're also pretty particular as to what qualifies as a smart snack. Truly hungry? Eat something satisfying with protein and/or fiber. Simply craving something sweet or salty? Find low-calorie substitutes for things like potato chips and candy bars, and save the calories for more nutritious foods at mealtime. Just want to idly crunch? Raw veggies (like baby carrots and sugar snap peas) are your friend. And if a certain food tends to send you into a feeding frenzy, avoid it if you can. (Click to read more about trigger foods.) As much as we enjoy new surveys and studies, common sense is more helpful when it comes to day-to-day decisions. Snack smart, people!

The Buzz...

HEADS UP! A couple of items that are especially popular this time of year have been voluntarily recalled from shelves. Packages of Ocean Spray Dried Cranberries may contain small metal fragments, and select batches of Valu Time and Food Club canned pumpkin have been called back for failing to meet quality standards. (Side note: We think Libby's has the highest-quality pumpkin overall.) Click on the links for full details. ***Our buddy the Diet Detective has released the results of his incredibly thorough, yearly airline-food survey. Air Canada and Virgin America took the top spots for healthfulness -- Air Canada even supplies in-flight nutritional data upon request! At the bottom of the list? Southwest scored low marks for lack of variety and nutritional value; Spirit Airlines got docked for its high-calorie snacks and representatives' lack of helpfulness in providing info. Click here for the full scoop! ***Giving back can be SO refreshing! A manufacturing company called Project 7 has the right idea. For the sale of each of its "Feed" products, like trays of sugar-free mints and gum, seven meals are delivered to Americans in need. Track down these products and do some good! ***In more gum-related news, chewing gum fortified with an appetite-suppressing hormone could help fight obesity in the future. In a study on appetite regulation, injections of the hormone showed positive results; the next step is testing the suppressant in tablet or gum form, similar in concept to nicotine gum. WOW! ***And finally, our favorite kind of jarred garlic is now available in a handy squeeze tube. Spice World Premium Minced Squeeze Garlic has only 5 calories and 1g carbs per teaspoon, delivering instant flavor to your favorite recipes. Use it anywhere chopped garlic is called for. And that's all we've got. HG out!

Don't Chew It!

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Today, December 5th, is National Sacher Torte Day. What is a Sacher torte? It's a schmancy chocolate cake. We plan on celebrating with our very own Chocolate-on-Chocolate Frosted Cake. Yum!

We may have received free samples of food, which in no way influences whether these products are reviewed favorably, unfavorably, mentioned with indifference, or mentioned at all. Click for more about our editorial and advertising policies.

*The PointsPlus® values for these products and/or recipes were calculated by Hungry Girl and are not an endorsement or approval of the product, recipe or its manufacturer or developer by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus® registered trademark.